Fire News

A detached garage was engulfed in flames in the 27000 block of Van Howe Street, south of Martin Road and east of Gratiot Avenue, when the Roseville Fire Department arrived at the scene around 10 a.m. May 9.

The department, with assistance from the St. Clair Shores Fire Department, was able to knock down the fire with no injuries to firefighters or residents. The fire totally destroyed the garage.

Roseville Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Bala said May 9 that the fire was “still under investigation.”

At approximately 2:30 a.m. Monday, May 8, the township’s dispatch center received a 911 call alerting first responders to a fire at Pebble Creek Apartments, located near West Utica and Ryan roads.

The fire originated when a man in a first-floor apartment fell asleep on his couch while burning a candle. Shelby Township Fire Chief Jim Swinkowski said that the candle fell over and started a portion of the couch on fire.

Police have arrested the brother of a Sterling Heights teen who died April 28 in an incident that police and firefighters suspect was an arson-caused house fire.

According to a city press release, firefighters from stations 1, 2 and 5 were reportedly deployed to a fire early in the morning in the 42000 block of Bloomingdale Drive, located near 19 Mile and Ryan roads. They learned that a 17-year-old was trapped in a second-floor bedroom above the first-floor fire.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — In an unprecedented move, the Shelby Township Fire Department bestowed its 2016 Firefighter of the Year award on two members of the department: Deputy Fire Marshal Duane Staten and firefighter medic Don Burke.

Fire Chief Jim Swinkowski said he and his command staff simply could not place one recipient over the other, since both accomplished admirable feats in two completely separate areas.

Employees returned to their jobs at a factory at 1305 Stephenson Road after firefighters extinguished a fire in a dust collector April 5.

Firefighters arrived at Witzenmann, which manufactures automotive components and other products for clients that include John Deere, to find the employees outside the building after the blaze was reported just after 12:30 p.m.

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Changes to the latest three-year contract for St. Clair Shores firefighters work to make the city more marketable to new hires in a competitive industry.

The latest contract for all employees of the Fire Department, except the chief, includes a 2 percent wage increase beginning the first pay period of July 2017 and similar increases in July of 2018 and 2019.

But another change to the contract increases the pension multiplier for the first 25 years of service from 2.0 to 2.25 for employees hired after Jan. 1, 2016.

FERNDALE — The City Council approved the purchase of a generator March 13 that will power City Hall and the Ferndale Police Department during power outages.

Council members unanimously approved the purchase of a 200-kilowatt diesel generator with an integrated 400-gallon diesel fuel tank for $153,700 from McNulty Electric. It was the lowest of eight bids that the city received for the project.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — When the historic windstorm hit the region March 8, 800,000 people lost power, including roughly 6,000 Shelby Township residents. While many endured without heat March 8 and 9, falling temperatures March 10 forced many to seek shelter elsewhere.

A handful of Shelby Township residents sought to stay the night at the Shelby Township Community Center on March 10, which functioned as an emergency warming center during the day. Shelby Township officials worked together to accommodate the residents’ needs.

ROYAL OAK — Police released the identity of the woman found dead following a house fire earlier this month on the city’s east side.

Marsha Baliff, 72, was a longtime Royal Oak resident and attorney described by neighbors as a friendly, quiet woman who served as an inspiration to the neighborhood with her regular walks despite her obvious frail physical condition.

According to the State Bar of Michigan, Baliff first became an attorney in 1981. Her license was in good standing at the time of her death.

DETROIT — Henry Keith Johnson, a 55-year-old Detroit resident, has been charged with five counts of first-degree felony murder following a fire on the city’s east side that authorities have concluded was arson.

On the afternoon of March 8, Detroit firefighters responded to a call at an apartment complex on Whittier Avenue, near Beaconsfield Street. The building held eight apartments with an undetermined number of residents living there.

At the Feb. 27 Board of Trustees meeting, the board unanimously approved the purchase of a new ladder truck. Trustee Jenifer “Joie” West was absent.

Clinton Township Fire Chief Mike Phy said four vendors submitted bids — which were opened in January — to replace a 14-year-old ladder truck that’s currently part of the fleet. The truck was budgeted at $1 million, with the truck costing an estimated $972,757.

Firefighters extinguished two recent home fires that began in each home’s chimney, state fire officials. No injuries were reported.

The fires were in homes on Quail Run and on Red Fox Trail. Both homes are located near Long Lake and Adams roads.

A house fire in the 2000 block of Quail Run was reported at 5:15 p.m. March 13 by a caller who reported heavy smoke coming from the home’s chimney and a sound similar to a turbine engine, a fire report states.

City officials said the Royal Oak Police and Fire departments handled an extremely large number of calls March 8 after high winds ripped through the community.

“Our men and women were very busy yesterday responding to the downed wires, responding to the downed trees and ensuring safety,” said Lt. Keith Spencer, of the Royal Oak Police Department Criminal Investigations Division.